National Football League roundup

Dec 1 (The Sports Xchange) - New England Patriots star tight end Rob Gronkowski will undergo back surgery and miss the remainder of the regular season.

Gronkowski will have surgery for a herniated disk on Friday, multiple media outlets reports Thursday.

Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News, who broke the news via Twitter, reported that Gronkowski is expected to be sidelined for eight weeks, per NFL sources. That timetable would put Gronkowski on the shelf until the week of the Super Bowl if the Patriots, currently tied for the top record in the AFC, advance that far.

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Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler will have surgery to repair his torn labrum in his throwing shoulder on Saturday and will be placed on injured reserve, coach John Fox announced.

Fox wasn't interested in addressing whether Cutler has played his last snap in Chicago, however.

"The offseason's the offseason. We're not there yet," Fox said.

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Denver Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian was absent from Thursday's practice, raising concerns about his availability for this weekend's road game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Rookie Paxton Lynch would draw his second start of the season in place of the 24-year-old Siemian, who sustained a sprained left foot in the first possession of overtime in Sunday's 30-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Reed sustained a Grade 3 AC joint separation in the second quarter of last Thursday's 31-26 loss to the Dallas Cowboys after leaping for a ball in the end zone.

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Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins returned to practice on Thursday after experiencing soreness in his foot.

Coach Rex Ryan said Watkins "looked good" and expects the star wideout to play for the Bills (6-5) in their road game against the AFC West-leading Oakland Raiders (9-2) on Sunday.

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Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen does not expect wide receiver DeVante Parker to play in Sunday's game against the host Baltimore Ravens because of a back injury.

Christensen told the Palm Beach Post that it will be a "bonus" if Parker is on the field as the surging Dolphins (7-4) vie for their seventh straight victory versus the Ravens (6-5).

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Former Green Bay Packers safety Sean Richardson wants to return to the football field despite undergoing a second cervical fusion surgery in January.

"It wasn't a tough decision. I love the game of football. My agent and (neck and spine specialist) Dr. (Robert) Watkins have made sure I've gone through the same protocols I did with my first injury," Richardson told ESPN's Adam Caplan. "I had multiple opinions from the top doctors just like after my first surgery. I've talked to my family and my agent and Dr. Watkins about the pros and cons."

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Former USC star and New York Jets running back Joe McKnight was shot and killed in Louisiana early Thursday morning.

McKnight, 28, was the apparent victim of a road rage incident, according to Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand.

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Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer will not coach Thursday night after having a third eye surgery in 30 days to repair a detached retina in his right eye.

Special teams coach Mike Priefer will serve as head coach as the Vikings host the Dallas Cowboys. General manager Rick Spielman said the Vikings will reassess the coaching role Friday.